keeps telling me that it's Bush who is the evil one... I'm so confused...
Posted on 07/08/2006 1:46:55 PM PDT by SleekMaid
Federal law enforcement officials tell ABC News a plot designed to use 15 to 20 suicide bombers on one commuter train as close to Sept. 11 as possible was well underway.
The specific target was the PATH commuter trains that run in a tunnel under the Hudson River into New York City.
"This is a plot that would have involved martyrdom, explosives and certain of the tubes that connect New Jersey with lower Manhattan," said Mark Mershon, Assistant Director-in-Charge of the FBI New York Field Office. "We're not discussing the modality behind, beyond that."
But law enforcement officials say the plotters had already accessed detailed blueprints and drawings of the PATH tunnels, available on the internet.
And like the London bombers, the plan was to load backpacks with explosives.
All 15 to 20 bombers were to board one car and detonate when the train was under the river, according to officials.
"There's no question that they are vulnerable. With the right amount of explosives, the tunnel could be compromised," said Gerry Hauer, former Director of New York City's Office of Emergency Management and now an ABC News consultant.
The FBI identified the ringleader as 32-year-old Assem Hammoud of Lebanon.
Lebanese officials arrested him in April at the request of the FBI, and he reportedly has now admitted he was about to go to Pakistan for training at an al Qaeda camp. "We know that he has acknowledged pledging a bayat or allegiance to Osama bin Laden, and he proclaims himself to be a member of al Qaeda," said Mershon.
Security was stepped up today at the PATH tunnels.
Officials said today two other alleged plotters had also been arrested, but at least five of them remain at large.
"This shows we are able to disrupt terror plots such as this," said New York City Police Commissioner Ray Kelly. "Secondly, it shows that New York remains in the terrorists' cross hairs."
Officials say the plot was uncovered more than a year ago by U.S. and Canadian intelligence agents watching a jihadist internet chat room.
Officials say the suspects communicated freely, thinking that no one could track them.
Similar chat rooms were used by the alleged terrorists arrested recently in Toronto and Miami.
"The chat rooms have literally exploded since 9/ll because we are now right in the midst of electronic jihad," said Jack Cloonan, former senior agent on the FBI's bin Laden squad in New York and now an ABC News consultant.
Officials say none of the plotters was in the United States but that several of them were nearby in Canada. Others had planned to travel to New York from Saudi Arabia.
Officials say even after their leader was arrested in April, the plotters continued to make plans, and officials say they can't be sure the plan is fully stopped, even now.
It makes me glad I live in the sticks.
Thanks for the post - welcome to the FR. :)
Since 'they' all want to become martyrs so badly , what is wrong with killing them all ? Or killing as many as we can get ,including all that we capture? This is what they want . Why do Liberal bleeding hearts cry out in dismay so loudly when we give them what they desire? Is it because when we take them out it precludes the murder of innocents part of their plan? Must be...
I say kill them all and let their god sort them out. No mercy!
Now we know what would have happened if Kerry was elected.
Don't worry. The DumRats are telling us there's nothing to worry about. So relax, chill out, and vote DumRat, because sKerry assured us they'll do a better job protecting us.
Yep, Chuckie Boy Schumer said these terrorists aren't the brightest terrorists in the box.
How bright do you have to be to blow yourself up?
Proper Headline: "Terrorist Plan to Kill New Yorkers & Cripple Transportation Foiled"
But of course they can't say that - it might imply that death & destruction is "terrorizing", and that our government is successfully protecting us from real threats.
(/sarcasm)
Honestly though, I want to see Schumer bash Bush for "wiretapping" terrorists now that this little plot was uncovered.
Amen!!!
I really like your plan.
Chuckie says it's no big deal.
-Welcome Neebie-
keeps telling me that it's Bush who is the evil one... I'm so confused...
It's white guilt that drives the political insanity.
May I?
Now we know what would have happened if Kerry was elected.
Now we know what would have happened if Kerry was elected.
Now we know what would have happened if Kerry was elected.
Now we know what would have happened if Kerry was elected.
Just in case liberals are watching......
Thank you.
I think this is a feint. They will strike somewhere else.
That seems to be the pattern. Democrats are now downplaying every foiled attack by marginalizing the jihadists as "dumb". Too dumb to be taken too seriously.
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